Sounds of a Playground Fading
by Subkulture
Summary: Natsu and Gray head on a mission alone, they know nothing about what they will have to face at their destination. All they know is that the village they are headed to is plagued with death, cast into a monochrome void. /SUMMARY INSIDE


**Sounds of a Playground Fading – Fairy Tail(Oneshot)**

Disclaimer: I do not own any people here, but you all know that.

Warnings: Mention of homosexuality. Violence. Blood/Gore

Rating: T

Summary: Natsu and Gray head on a mission alone, they know nothing about what they will have to face at their destination. All they know is that the village they are headed to is plagued with death, cast into a monochrome void. Upon arriving they are requested to do one thing: bring back the villages youth. Not knowing how sound the villages intentions are, they throw themselves headlong into this desolate world, no matter what the consequences may be.

* * *

><p>Time<br>Like a petal in the wind  
>Flows softly by<br>As old lives are taken  
>New ones begin<br>A continual chain  
>Which lasts throughout eternity<br>Every life but a minute in time  
>But each of equal importance<p>

_CINDY CHENEY, "Time"_

* * *

><p>The swing set was a stark reminder in this place of days gone by. Bright blues had faded and fallen away, killed by the advancing rust that now coated the metal like snow. It came off on your fingers like cocaine – a soft powder that could never really be removed. A noose of chains hung from the rail running along the top, looping around and around with its seat missing in action. Its twin still retained some semblance of a swing, its chains still able to bear the weight of a human with nothing more than a few protesting groans. Cold, metal spikes dug into the ground, cemented in place to keep the set from toppling over.<p>

The surrounding area was just as grim and dead. The ground was a muddled grey where no plants dared to grow and the other object where in the process of crumbling in on themselves. The slide had warped into a sagging mess while the see-saw had become the dinner of maggots. Stilted shapes rose in the distance of a dying village filled with elderly men and woman. Every one of them had slipped past the age of childhood and loss the need for this playground. This place's future had been stolen by time, now it was left to die, wilting in the shadow of the sun, gnarled rainbows dropping to the ground to lie in a pool of its on waste.

Gray Fullbuster was there waiting, rocking back and forth on the lonely swing, his hair and clothes dampened by the lingering mist. His entire body was sheathed against the cold with several dark layers of clothing, a t-shirt was followed by two jackets in a futile attempt to keep the chill at bay. But when the cold was nothing but a metaphysical dream, there was not much he could do, only hunch his shoulders against the onslaught chilling thoughts

That was what Grey did while he waited for Natsu to return, blue-black eyes scouring the horizon in silence. A single leather boot tapped heartbeats into the earth. It resonated in the world of the dead, where the only sounds were the hollow, echoing laughter of children, long gone, and the distant howl of a coyote, lonely and forgotten.

The hounds of war had long since eaten this world. It was why the cold hands of death still clung to the land and to the people and why the two mages had been summoned to this hidden valley. The townsfolk had asked the mages to come to this land without informing them of what they had wanted of them. Instead they had chosen to lead them blind into their land, directing the ice mage to stay behind while the guides lead Natsu into the depths of the village to discuss the task. They had reasoned that it was because he brought colour into the heather plain.

That was something Gray could understand. Natsu had a rose coloured hair for a reason, he was like a beacon of light in every way possible. Not that Gray himself wasn't, but to strangers he was simply a punk. Though, here he took on a new shape. Even his name blended with the bland landscape. Grey was simply silver that had lost it's shine, after all.

Sitting here, he could understand why the guides had asked him to remain outside. There was no pending attack or dastardly scheme. He just reminded people of an old wound that was too deep to heal.

Isolated footsteps snapped Grey from his reverie, carrying the same effect of a hypnotist snapping his fingers.

Natsu was standing before him with both hands shoved deep in his pockets. He stopped short of the waiting man by several feet, his features drawn tight with uncharacteristic depression and pain. All his features screamed of bad news; muscle let slack in their flesh sheaths and ten years had been added to his features.

"You look old," Gray stated slowly, tenderly playing around the sharp ridges of the morbid information that Natsu carried. The corner of his mouth lifted when Natsu shot him a glare; albeit weaker then normal. "What do they want?"

The other shifted slightly from one foot to the other, looking impatient and unsure. Gray wanted nothing more than to bark out a snappish comment, but experiences, more then common sense, held him back. He had seen the world at its worse when he was far too young. When Deliora had destroyed his home town he got the opportunity to watch as his entire family – and then some – was murdered by the rampaging demon. It had left its own irreversible toll on the youth, and even though he could smile now, pain was still an ever-present factor in his life.

"They want us to bring back their youth."

The mage's arm gave a small twitch, his brow creasing in bitter confusion. Almost nervously, he turned his gaze to the village. Shadows had gathered on the outskirts of the village, huddled together like dogs in the cold. Even from the great distance, Gray could see the tall and small members, some where barely taller then a preteen, but there were no children in this village anymore. The last child ever born stood in that militant line, grown old with the passage of time and the weight of other people's sins.

Releasing a small sigh, he turned his gaze back to his friend. "What did you tell them? We can't just make everyone young again." Gray scowled sharply and watched as Natsu tossed the answer form one side of his to the other. Not that it was helping, the flame head appeared hesitant no matter what he did. Finally, the ice maker gave him a much need push; "Spit it out."

He shrugged callously. "I just said we would, do you have a problem with that?"

The ice mage heaved a thick sigh of vexation, hanging his head about his lap. He wanted to get up and yell at the mage – that was exactly what he would have done five years ago – but the weight of the village's eyes on him was tremendous, keeping him rooted to the spot and forcing him to deal with the flame head before him in a relatively calm voice. "No, I don't," he bit out sarcastically. "But, how do you propose we do that? I'm sure you had a plan before accepting the request."

"Not exactly," came Natsu's sheepish reply. He eased himself to the ground and linked his arms and legs together. A frown of intense concentration worked its way into his features.

Gray rolled his eyes before rising to his feet. The soft jangle of rusted chains was the only warning Natsu had before the dark haired mage stormed past him, making a bee line toward the line of strange observers. He didn't care that they had pleasantly asked him to stay away, he needed to drag out a bit more information on this mission; Natsu appeared to be relatively useless, after all. The mage in question trailed along behind the ice mage, not putting in the effort to walk beside him. There was a sturdy scowl set on his face, obviously he did not appreciate his long term rival taking the lead.

As the man advanced on the hoard of people he began to make out distinguishable features amongst them.

There were more men then woman in the group, each one of them was dressed in drab clothes that made Gray's own stark black outfit look like it had just crawled out of Mage's Weekly. Coarse browns were hanging limply from their shoulders and each clothe was decorated in an assortment of patches and stitches. The females had let their hair fall loose from the buns and buckles, allowing the threads to hang limp around their faces. The men wore scraggly beards streaked with grey, each one more wiry then the last. Not a single member in the lineup was over six feet, most seemed to have trouble passing five feet; which did not make for an impressive group.

What really caught Gray's attention – upon getting closer – was their eyes. Every man and woman before the young mage had the eyes of the dead. Irises had turned a muddled grey colour, the protective lids forever at half mast. The muscles in their foreheads were slack with numbing defeat, like the entire world had turned on them and, rather than fighting, the village had thrown in the towel.

The closer he got to the lineup, the more Gray wondered whether or not to help the village. Of course he would help them, because Natsu had given his word and no member of Fairy Tail would back down on that; but the young mage had to wonder if the village had tried at all.

When Gray finally came to a rest before the crowd he got to see just how wrong he was. The scars the town wore caught the light of the lanterns like gold and every mom and woman bore them like a sin. Some had more scars than the others but the amount did not differentiate between the sexes, and housewives were forced to bear the gory mark of war.

"Weren't ya asked ta stay back, sir?" voiced an aged man as politely as his harsh accent would allow. He was one of the two men that had acted as Natsu's guides on his trip to the village. Scars had turned his skin into a violent pollock of pale lines while a yellowing shirt attempted to block out the chilly breeze. From the man's hunched shoulders, Gray assumed that it wasn't working.

Behind him, the ice mage felt Natsu give an apologetic smile; after all, the man meant no harm in his statement. Nevertheless, Gray ignored him and turned his attention to the presumed mayor of the village.

This man – who carried an atmosphere of leadership as well as arrogance – donned the most scars, the puckered flesh distorted his features into a dangerous map of mountains and trenches. Crisp, burgundy robes fell around his neck, the tips brushing against his thighs. A black button-down clung to his chest beneath the red fabric, barely visible through the gap under the man's chin. A matching pair of silky dress pants covered the remaining part of his body, the long legs pooled around the mayor's feet to effectively obscure his shoes from view. Marble white-grey hair cascaded down his back and chest, ever inch shimmering brazenly in the lamp light.

The mayor took a step forward, his robes whispering behind him in the light breeze that was conjured. "Will you take on this task, mage?"

The young mage gave a shallow shrug. "Natsu said we'll do it, so we will," he replied leisurely before dropping his tone into something more serious. "But, we need more details if we're to do this."

The elder was silent for a moment, his ancient eyes rested on Gray, stern and unwavering as the seconds ticked by. A shallow breeze caressed the land and Gray heard Natsu shift uncomfortably behind him, busying himself with the sky or ground; anything to take his mind off the mayor's gaze.

At long last, the man replied with a nod. "Very well, young magician. If you two will follow me, I will explain everything." With that, he turned briskly and retreated back into the village. The two guild mages were left staring after him, surrounded by the solemn gazes of the villagers. Gray heaved a small sigh before making after the mayor.

The inside of the town looked as desolate as it appeared. The streets were painted a mixture of greys and browns while the buildings were supported by weathered poles. Windows sat dirty and chipped in their frames, lawns lay dead or dying below, and the few animals were sickly and wilting where they stood. The very sight forced a lump to rise in Gray's throat as he looked around, perplexed by the unkempt village.

The mayor led them into a small house on the outskirts of town. Velvet, mouth-eaten fabrics clung to the windows for dear life and did little to filter out the suns rays. Luckily, there was no such light today. Within the walls, the rooms were decorated with ancient art and even older furniture. They tables and chair looked as if they were shaking where they stood, the aged wooden legs no longer able to bear the weight of the seat.

"Stand or sit, it does not matter to me," the elder announced as he took his place at the head of the table. "Rest assured, these chairs have bore greater weights than you." He paused to allow Gray and Natsu to take their places – Natsu pushing himself up onto the counter and Gray lounging beside it – before continuing.

"Three-hundred years ago a great calamity struck our land and left it in ruin. Mages, dark and sadistic in their ways, attacked our village hoping to acquire a kingdom of their own. Our ancestors fought these fiends off as best they could, but to no avail, and soon this land was taken over. The centuries passed by in a state of chaos, death and illness becoming a regular occurrence.

"Soon the mage's descendants began to die out. A magic induced illness caused babies to be stillborn and their lineage fell apart. We celebrated this for some time. First we did so quietly, lighthearted whispers that were carried across the fields on the breeze, then we held a festival to celebrate the passage of the last mage that had held our land captive."

The mayor took in a deep breath, pinching his brow in silent remorse. All the while, neither Natsu nor Gray had moved from their spot at the counter.

"That same year my daughter became pregnant. It was something to be celebrated for this would be the first children to be born free. Nine months later we were shocked. The child was never born, instead it had died within the mother's womb and she had bled to death soon after. We had not escaped from the plague and, ever since, this village had not given birth to another child."

"And you want us to cure this plague?" Gray asked; the mayor nodded. This made things a little easier, instead of getting back the youth of the village, all the two had to do was lift a curse that had been planted on the village. Now, they only had to locate the source of the curse and destroy it. Which – according to their past experiences – should not be a problem.

"One last thing," the ice mage started, making Natsu freeze halfway down of the counter. "Were the mages handling anything strange, or did they gather somewhere away from the village?"

"Yes. There is a cave north of the village with a waterfall within. They often gathered there; about once a month." With that said, the two mages departed the village.

Once they had travelled a fair distance from the town, Gray turned on Natsu, his step never halting. "Why the hell are you so silent?"

The rose haired mage shrugged. "No reason." He paused. "It's strange being on a mission without the others." Gray could not help but agree, but Lucy, Erza and Happy had all taken off on their own mission and had abandoned him and Natsu at the guild.

Without saying another word, the two arrived at the cave, the sound of running water was a clear indication that they had got the right one. Inside, the interior was littered with stalagmites and stalactites. Water dripped off the stone spikes and echoed around the room. Behind Gray, Natsu covered his nose and snorted. "Ugh, this place stinks."

"I don't smell anything."

"Yeah, well I do."

Gray peered over his shoulder, eyeing Natsu curiously as he clutched at his nose. His brow had been pinched together and his shoulders had been pulled taut beneath from whatever aroma was in the air. "If it's too much for you, you can wait outside," the ice mage taunted, a snicker pulling at his lips. Natsu just shot him a venomous glare; the smell had even managed to shut the mage up, impressive.

A shallow drip echoed around the cave walls.

Gray snapped around toward the source of the sound, but all he was met with was the darkness of the cave; impenetrable and never-ending. Silence was quick to ensue and it made the young mage's face twist in worry.

A quiet wheezing echoed around them.

"Who are you?"

Cold shivers rippled up and down the mage's spin as the grainy voice washed over him. It shredded over his bones to leave flecks of wilting letters behind it, embedding an ever lasting impression into the ice mage.

"We're Fairy Tail!" Natsu sung out. His lone step rang out as he moved to stand beside Gray. The putrid smell had been blatantly forgotten. "Who're you?"

"Me?" rasped the voice. "I am old, and that is all you need to know." The soft rustle of robes could be heard before a wilted shadow emerged from the darkness. "Why are you here?"

Again, it was Natsu that spoke. "We're uh... We're here to return the village's youth."

With a soft smile, Gray shook his head at his partner's hopelessness. "We came here to lift an infectious spell that's been causing miscarriages in the village near here," he clarified. "Do you know anything about that?"

The woman shuffled closer. Her clothes were gnarled and stretched, her skin had been pulled tight over bone and muscle; Gray couldn't help but think that she looked like death. Bare feet had been chaffed by the sharp rocks underfoot and hard callouses had formed, limp strands of white hair fell around her face to frame her features that had been beaten ugly with age. This stranger shuffled closer to the boys, her legs shaking with a helpless feebleness, and pressed a skeletal hand on each of their forearms.

She parted her lips, drew in a wheezed breath, and hissed; "That village is death. Stay away mages, or you, too, shall be their prey."

With that, the woman, gave them a harsh push and returned back to the shadows from whence she came.

Gray blinked, still stunned by her unexpected appearance. Forcing away the shock, he gave his head a good, hard shake and glanced back at Natsu who was doing the same. He watched as the fire mage tossed his hair, pulled his hands into white-knuckled fists, and ran screaming after the old woman.

"Hey! Old lady, what do you mean by all that?" Gray heard Natsu shout as he followed his partner. "Where did you go?"

The cave seemed to stretch oddly around them; more than likely that was just a result of the impenetrable darkness that had surrounded them. Two pairs of feet crashed to the ground and caused the stomping to echo off the cave walls.

Then Gray's foot brought up solid in something dense and, together, he and Natsu tumbled to the ground.

"Get the hell off of me!" Gray shot, kicking his way out of the tangle of limbs. He heard Natsu growl before the fire mage lit his palms with convenient dragon's flame.

The rose-head bared his teeth at his friend. "You're the one who bumped into me-"

Natsu's sentence cut off abruptly, his eyes growing wider as he locked onto something beyond Gray's figure. Almost tentatively, Gray twisted around, searching for the thing that had caught the other's attention.

Bordering the fire light was white bone. It was gritty in most parts but other parts had been polished by a spring's trickle. Clothes covered the pelvis, pooling in the hollow sections and framing the edges of the skeleton, damp and filthy. It was also, Gray noted, one-hundred percent human.

"What the-" The ice mage crept closer, looking over the remains from head to toe. His eyes rested on the skeleton's left hand where a leather bound book sat, the person's fingers still wrapped around it. Tenderly, Gray plucked it from it's bed and flipped it open.

"It's the woman from before."

Gray looked up to where Natsu sat. He was down on his haunches with both arms resting on his knees, both his eyes were locked on the skeleton with a fierce intensity.

"What do you mean 'it's the woman from before'?" Gray asked. "There's no way this could be her. I mean, sure she was fragile but she couldn't have decayed that fast."

The other just shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered. "But it's her. I can just tell."

The ice mage let out a small sigh. He was never one to question Natsu's instincts because, no matter how thick headed the flame-head could be, he was usually right. Rather than dwelling on this fact, Gray flipped to the first page of the book and started reading.

"What's that?"

A vein in Gray's temple throbbed. "A book," he snapped, restarting his sentence.

"Well, what's in it?"

"Words," he bit sarcastically. "Maybe if you gave me a chance to read I could find out what they say."

The brat snaked closer, peering over the brim of the page. "Why don't you read it out loud then?"

"Would you _shut up_?"

"I guess."

He sighed and returned to the top of the page. "Fine. Just keep your fire lit will you? I can't read in the dark."

_'Year: 708. Summer solstice._

_A group of our fighters had just arrived at the village this evening. We hope to establish contact with them in an hour and we have already sent a man ahead of us. The last thing we wish to do is take them by surprise for we're not sure of how they would react. Our intelligence operatives says that they do not practice magic, so this mission could be potentially hazardous; we are gambling with many lives. _

_One thing I've noticed since our arrival is that every magic shield I've placed around our camps has been acting... strange. To say the least. I'm not sure but every now and then I will catch a rainbow burst flashing across the surface. It is like it is being attacked by some unknown force. _

_Others at camp have caught similar incidences with their magic. Some have reported that their magic wanes every now and then or, the more severe cases, it has cut out. _

_Alfred said that there was something strange in the air. Maybe that is what's causing the magic to disperse randomly. _

_I fear that we may have to cancel this operation. No matter how much we want to help these people, we cannot do so when our magic is useless. _

_Year: 7010. Mid-winter._

_I realize that it has been a while since I've turned to this journal, but nothing notable has happened in these few years. _

_A few weeks after arrival the village permitted us to set up a permanent residence near the farmland. In return for their hospitality we have agree to aid with the crops, animal as well as healing the sick. It is a hard life because our magic is __weak__ and we can do little more then what the villagers themselves can do. But we try our hardest with our magic and our muscles and the people here seem to appreciate the help. _

_Though I fear that they have yet to truly accept us, and the new power that we bring.'_

"Gray. Gray!"

The ice mage jerked up what the page with venom in his eyes. "What? I thought I told you not to be quiet?"

"You did," Natsu shrugged. "But... Didn't the old man say that the mages came hundreds of years ago? This diary starts in the seven-hundreds."

Gray blinked down at the paper, rereading the date more carefully. Seven-hundred-and-ten, Natsu was right. Once more, there seemed to be flaws in the old man's tale.

He picked at the pages carefully, skipping ahead to the middle of the book. "Anyway. Let's keep reading, find out what this has to say."

'_ Year: 722. Winter Solstice._

_Snow has come to the village. But it comes tainted with the stain of blood. The villagers have launched a full scale attack on us. _

_It is completely unwarranted!_

_We have __done__ nothing but try to help these people and- _

_They__ have killed Desmond, our leader, and have kidnapped Aston and Alfred. Now we are nothing more than scattered mages with no magic to our name. My barriers can barely hold a leaf at bay; it is impossible for me to protect us from the townsfolk. So we will retreat. We cannot fight this battle – we hardly know why we have to fight! Their hatred of __magic is unprecedented as well as irrational. _

_They are barbarians. _

_Tomorrow, at dusk, they will be holding a public execution where Aston and Alfred will be put to death. I shall go there while the others are escaping to try and rescue them. _

_I fear that I may not survive the attack though. Without my barriers I am useless in a fight. But they are my brothers-in-arms. I have to try. I have to!_

_Year: 722. Spring Equi-'_

"What just happened?"

"Natsu!" Gray glared at the flame-head. This was the second time...

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, waving his arms and causing his fire to flicker dangerously. "But the village-"

With a wave of his hand, the ice mage hushed his friend. "Yes, Natsu. The village lied to us. They killed those mages; it wasn't enslavement... Do you smell something?"

Natsu perked up were he sat, his nose poking at the air. Then his brow furrowed as he caught wind of what Gray had smelt seconds before.

The aroma of bitter smoke wafted through the cave. It pushed at the edges of Natsu's fire and threatened to smother it with an overpowering level of carbon-dioxide. The thick clouds billowed around their heads and Gray couldn't help but smirk grimly as Natsu was tossed into a hazardous sneezing fit. His pink head met the rock with a heavy thud, the dragon-flame consequently whipping out of existence.

Gray's first thoughts to this occurrence that was the town that was trying to suffocate them, and he would bet all his memories of Ul that he was right.

"Keep low," he ordered, his voice surprisingly hoarse. Then he set off down the cave, heading towards the only exit. Behind him, he could hear Natsu's coughing and shuffling as the dragon slayer kept close on his heels.

The further they edged toward the exit, the thicker the smoke became. It weighed heavy on their shoulders and pressed them to the cave floor, an oppressive, single-minded force. A soft thud echoed behind Gray, followed by a fit of wet hacking. How ironic, that the hot-headed Natsu Dragneel was being beaten by fire excretion. That didn't stop the ice mage from falling back on his haunches and pulling the rose-head along.

After long minutes had crawled by Gray began to hear voices in front of him. With one hand pressed flat against the wall, he listened analytically to the braying laughter of men and woman alike.

"What if they come out?" questioned one helpless man.

"What if nothing," Gray heard the mayor return. "If they come out, we kill them. There is no room for mages in this world. These men will be the start of something new. They should feel honoured." His words forced a nasty lump in Gray's throat. Quickly he forced it down with a gulp of stale air.

"But what about their magic?"

"Have you learned nothing from the last time that wizards came to our land? Magic does not work near our town. The crystal has taken care of that for us."

Gray's head snapped behind him. The rustle of clothes was the only warning he got before Natsu flew past him, the fire mage practically glowing with rage as he ran.

The next thing Gray knew was a dumbfounded scream that echoed back into the cave. It made his stomach drop with an ominous silence of foreboding.

That scream was not a villager.

Scratching at the floor, Gray lunged out of the smokey cave. Only to skid to a halt when silver blades pressed to his skin.

Half the town had come to witness this precession, each one carrying a handful of weapons. Pitchforks and spades gleamed in the waning light of noon. Most of the weapons seemed to be divided evenly between him and Natsu.

Natsu...

The fire mage was lying still on the ground, his eyes pressed shut and a soft quiver travelling up and down his body. There was a deep gash running from shoulder to hip across his back that was steadily oozing blood. It had soaked his shirt and stained the ground red. From where he stood, Gray couldn't tell whether of not Natsu was conscious, but from the light shivers he would say that the young dragon slayer was barely hanging on.

The ice mage flinched toward the other. The movement caused several blades to dig into his neck, bringing warm fluid to the surface.

"I assume that you have discovered that everything I have told you has been a lie. Am I right?" the mayor asked vehemently. Gray didn't even grace him with a nod. Instead he bared his teeth to the old man; the only thing that kept him tied to his spot was Natsu's helplessness and a creeping weakness – the feeling of his magic slowly being drained from him.

"What-?" The mayor stepped closer and Gray felt his strength escape him in leaps and bounds.

As the man took his final step, the ice mage crashed to the ground. His breath was coming in sharp gasps and his shoulders rose and fell with each thrum of his heart.

"We've had some astonishing achievements since the last time we have had mages in our land. Our crystals are much more effective." Teasingly, the mayor held up a violet tear-drop that was hanging by a string around his neck. Then, briskly, he turned away to bark orders at the townsfolk. But Gray's hearing had evolved into a steady roar and the words escaped him.

Darkness was closing in. Desperately he glanced at his fallen companion and the men lifting him over their shoulders. Then the pressure of an unwelcome weapon crashed down on his back and he was met with silence.

* * *

><p>Gray woke to the sound of ragged breathing and the drip of rain water.<p>

His back felt stiff and ridged, cold air seeped up from the floor and into his back with ease. He shivered. It had been a long time since he had felt this cold; and sore. It felt like every bone in his body was bruised and, from a quick glance down at his torso, that did not seem to be fair off the mark. All twelve of his lower ribs where decorated with sickly black abrasions and rings of blood could be seen around his ribs and ankles. The sight of his bare skin made his stomach drop. The townsfolk had graciously left his pants – albeit tattered – on, but they had torn away all his other clothes and left him to the chilling cold of this forgotten cell.

Nervously, the ice mage glanced around. The lighting was dim, it impaired his vision and gave the rubble a flat, ominous feel. That did not stop his eyes from falling atop the other mage. Even in this level of darkness, Natsu's head of pink hair seemed to bring forth its own light.

Dark eyes skimmed over the other's figure; over the head that was turned away from the mage, over the shoulders that were hunched up from the chill, to land on a mass of torn flesh.

Memories flushed his mind. They were memories of events played out not to long ago, of Natsu rushing from the cave, not of power but of instinct and pompousness, and of the old man's shallow promise.

"Natsu!" Gray hissed – his voice grainy from not being used. "Natsu, wake up." Weak kneed, he pulled himself to his feet. But standing served to be short-lived and in a second Gray was crashing back down, several curses escaping in the process; pain laced up his leg like white flame.

The noise had served one purpose though and a soft moan could be heard from across the cell. It had Gray scampering over to the mage as fast as his bruised body could manage.

"Oi, Natsu, stay still will you?" Gray ordered when said Natsu began to push himself to his feet. The ice mage carefully pressed down on the other's back, easing him back to the cold ground. "You'll irritate the wound if you don't."

"Gray?" Natsu's voice sounded even raspier then Gray's had and excessive blood loss had given him rich, purple shadows under his eyes.

"Man, you are such an idiot. What the hell were you thinking? Rushing out there without having an idea of what was waiting." A scowl planted itself firmly on the ice mage's features. Quickly, he grabbed Natsu's scarf and shifted the flame head into a sitting position. This earned him a nasty glare from Natsu, but it didn't stop Gray from wrapping the dragon clothe around the mage.

The flesh was frayed, torn, and messy. Bits of skin stuck out at odd ends and tainted with dark, sticky blood. It made Gray's heart pang softly at the sight. No man should have to bear a wound like this; the fact that it was a comrade made it all the worse.

Tucking the end of the fabric in, Gray leaned back with a sigh. "There. That should help it for now." The rose headed boy whined softly, earning him a small head shake from Gray. "So, now what do we do? You're half dead and I can't walk."

"Why can't you walk?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side innocently.

"Dunno," he replied. "I just tried to stand but... It's probably broken."

There was a long silence after that and Gray helped Natsu lay back down. All the while, he muttered curses about Natsu's idiocy.

"I'm sorry," Ntasu whispered, snuggling into the dirt in an attempt to make himself more comfortable.

Gray looked up from his ankle; the purple-yellow-black flesh had hypnotized him and, without touching it, he had spent the silent period studying that distorted joint. "Sorry? For what?"

"If I hadn't charged out then-"

"Don't bother," the ice mage interjected. A look of hurt flashed across Nastu's face at Gray's harsh tone. "It was just you being you. Thickheaded and unnaturally stupid."

Again, Natsu whined. "You don't need to be cruel about it."

"Well, it's true. You're the one always running on instinct. It wouldn't kill you to think once in a while." Despite this, a soft smile grew across Gray's face. It eliminated whatever reply Natsu had grown and replaced it with a sad, twitching grin of his own. "Really," Gray continued, "are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Once more, silence descended upon them and, with a heavy sigh, Gray stretched out on the dirt next to Natsu. Dark eyes traced patterns in the ceiling.

After so many years, being without magic felt horribly empty, like a chunk of him was missing; and he supposed it was. Magic had become as much a part of him as his arms or legs. Even though it was evident that he could live without his ice-make magic, its absence left him wanting. Newly acquired knowledge made that feeling much worse, as well. This could very well be the last night they had, and they would spend it alone and mortally injured.

But they wouldn't just give up. They were Fairy Tail; as long as they were breathing they would fight. Natsu's condition – as well as Gray's broken ankle – made that difficult.

Next to him, the dirt shifted and Gray glanced to his right to see Natsu shifting closer. A scowl instinctively flashed across his face, but seeing Natsu's worn look, his eyebrows knotted together and eyes twitching from pain, softened Gray's moodiness instantly.

"Natsu?" the ice mage whispered softly. "What are you doing?"

The dragon slayer dug in deeper, shivering. "I'm cold."

Gray almost choked on the irony. A fire mage turning to an ice mage for warmth was unheard of at best. It made his heart sink even further.

He draped a reassuring arm around the other. Natsu's eyes looked sunken and so, so old. "N-Natsu?" There was a thick lump forming in the middle of Gray's throat; slowly, it was killing him. The shivers that rippled through Natsu drove wave after wave of icy chill through Gray's bones and the look of increased pain washing across Natsu's features drove the mage insane. It was like watching his best friend wither away in front of him.

Gray jerked. "Natsu! Natsu, open your eyes." Frantically, he rattled the fire mage's shoulders, but it was like waking the dead and the only sounds Natsu gave were smothered moans of pain. "Come on, Natsu. You survived worse than this, right? Hell, I've survived worse than this."

A slow groan later and Natsu's listless eyes were staring up at the ice mage. "Gray?" Natsu's voice had grown even more rough, taking on a static-like texture and barely audible over the deafening silence. "You... You don't hate me right?"

Immediately, Gray's brows knit together in a worried line. "What the hell? What kind of question is that? We're comrades aren't we? Brothers-in-arms?"

The flame-head chuckled softly. "Yeah," he rasped, the graininess remaining. "I guess you're right."

Gray swallowed, attempting to push down the stone that had made itself a nest in his throat. It never worked and somehow he knew that trying again would not amount to anything. "What is wrong with you, Natsu? This isn't like you." He didn't like this. Not one bit.

The mage hoisted his wounded friend into his lap as he pulled each of them into a seated position. Consequently, Gray's hand fell across the other's back. The feel under his fingers was warm and wet, spelling out the tale of what was happening to Natsu. The blood slipped over his fingers to travel down Natsu's back while Gray watched this wide eyed terror as blood loss slowly stole away his friend.

"I know," he whispered back. His fingers clung to the mage's back with a weakening grip; frail, broken.

"Gray?"

"Yeah?"

Again, the mage buried himself deeper into the Gray's chest. The only thing that Gray could do was return the favour, holding him tighter – avoiding Natsu's wound – and resting his cheek atop the pink locks.

When had he gotten so small? He was like a child in Gray's arms. What were once strong muscles and seemingly vanished with their magic. Shoulders that had once seemed to be able to bear the weight of the world had grown limp, supported by Gray's strength alone.

"I... I want to tell you something, but you have to promise..."

A single hand traced tiny circles in whatever spot they could reach. "Promise what, Natsu?"

"Don't hate me."

It was the final straw.

A lonely tear slithered down his check and vanished in a sea of pink.

"I won't hate you, Natsu. I promise."

With what had to be the last of his strength, Natsu pushed away. The two hands resting on Gray's shoulders quivered weakly. Once healthy, tanned skin had faded into a chalky white – only tainted by blood and bruises.

Lips crashed into his and Gray's eyes flew open. They were warm, soft, and impossibly tender.

"Thank you."

Then a light weight fell against Gray's shoulders, the blood from Natsu's wound slowed and stopped, and white skin grew cold and statuesque.

"I'm sorry," Gray whispered desperately, as if the ears of the dead could hear him, and stilled lips could respond. "I can't return your feelings."

"I'm sorry." His grip on the body tightened impossibly and once more, he buried his face into Natsu's hair.

"I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>AN: This only took a month to write -.- But it seems worth it. :)

Ten bucks says that ya'll didn't like the ending.

Point to make... the reason that it came with no warnings is because I wanted things to be a surprise. I never wanted to let anything out before it happened. Some of you may like that, some of you may not. But in any case I'm glade about how it came out. I hope ya'll like it though ^^"

Cudo's to a marvelous beta, MiyuTanemura. Give her some love, yeah? :P

**Reviews** make a wonderful Christmas Gift~ :) So send them along to keep me inspired? XD (*shot*)


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